Award-winning Christian pop band FFH (which stands for Far From Home) will perform at Union College on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m at the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church (4801 Prescott). Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is free but limited.

Returning from a three-year hiatus, the group is looking forward to re-connecting with fans.

“The time away has been anything but routine,” says front man Jeromy Diebler on the band’s website. “Since our departure in 2006, [my wife and band mate] Jennifer and I have moved to Africa and back, welcomed our second child, and dealt with my multiple scleroses diagnosis. We’ve been walking the wilderness in brokenness and joy, learning that the two coexist. The waiting has been hard, but the Lord knew we needed a break to deal with some deeper issues, both physical and spiritual, that just couldn’t be dealt with while on the road. We now feel like it’s time to renew our connection with our audience and start telling them about this chapter in our story.”

For more information on the musicians, visit http://ffh.net/. Questions about the event can be directed to Union College Campus Ministries at 402.486.2508.

Overflow seating tickets will be sold at the door for the 7 p.m. presentation by Greg Mortenson. Tickets for the live video feed in Heartland Hall of the College View church are $10 (cash or check only at the door). Doors open at 6 p.m.

On September 22, Union College presents speaker Greg Mortenson, co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea. Since 1993, Mortenson has devoted his life to establishing education and literacy programs in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and he serves as executive director of Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit organization.

In January of 2009, the Congress of the United States nominated Mortenson for the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee appointed by the Storting, Norway's parliament.

Mortenson will appear at College View Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 4801 Prescott Avenue. The event begins at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6.

The 2009 Union College Library Fair is this Thrusday, September 17 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The theme is The Roaring 20s. Learn about the constitutional amendment process in the context of Prohibition. There will be activities, games, music, and food, creating a fun learning experience! See you there!

Union College’s 25 physician assistant graduates recently took the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The attempt was met with total success, allowing the class to rise above the national pass rate.

“We are very proud of their accomplishments,” said Mike Huckabee, Union College’s PA program director. “All graduates from the class of 2009 passed the PANCE on their first try.”

The 360-question exam, administered during a six-hour period, gauges basic medical and surgical knowledge. Passing the PANCE is a national requirement to become a certified physician assistant.

“This was an excellent group of graduates who worked hard to be successful,” said Huckabee. “This distinction is a fitting tribute to their diligence and effort.”
Huckabee attributes much of the class’ success to the support and individual attention Union’s PA faculty provide as well as the careful instruction that more than 70 associated physicians in the Lincoln area contribute.

“This accomplishment shows the hand of God in so many ways,” said Huckabee. “He continues to bless Union College with exceptional students who excel on our campus.”

Julia Noyes is reaching new corners of Lincoln, and new audiences, with a McClelland Art Gallery exhibit running through Sept. 19. Noyes, whose 10 pieces are on display at Union College, directs and owns her own gallery located on South 9th Street.

“Having the Noyes Art Gallery has been a special blessing because I get to work with so many other artists,” Noyes said, explaining that each month she coordinates exhibits with more than 60 other local artists.

A grant recently awarded to Union College’s Teaching Learning Center (TLC) will benefit the local Lincoln community by empowering students faced with learning and development disabilities such as ADD. TLC, Union’s academic support and disability service provider, received $84,510 in funding from Woods Charitable Foundation, with disbursement set over the next three years.

With this grant, the center plans to implement a program designed to aid high school juniors with learning disabilities transition into college life, and likewise, help eighth graders transition into high school life. The two nine-week pilot classes scheduled to run during the 2009-2010 school year will focus on self-advocating and financial aid.

“This new program was created in order to open educational doors for students with disabilities who otherwise wouldn’t recognize education as an option,” said Debbie Forshee-Sweeney, TLC director. “Many students with learning disabilities and ADD go through high school with the false belief that higher education is not in their reach.”

Union College students who have struggled with similar disabilities will be involved in the new program by servings as mentors. Each student will receive training and a stipend to assist in co-teaching the classes located in Lincoln’s 10 middle schools and six high schools.

The following are recommendations for response to the current potential influenza outbreak. It is important for all of us to realize that the H1N1 situation may change rapidly and changes may be needed to these recommendations as the scenario unfolds. These recommendations reflect our current understanding of procedures that will help to prevent the spread of H1N1. We will be closely monitoring this situation and will communicate with the campus when that becomes necessary. These recommendations follow guidelines set out by the CDC.

Enrollment at a glance

It's not often people in academia want to be proved wrong. However, last fall when two different models Union College uses to predict enrollment for the next school year projected a decrease in new students, college administrators, faculty and staff began preparing for the worst and praying for the best.

"We believe each of our students is a blessing, and we've been asking
God for many blessings lately," said David Smith, college president.
"When I speak to our students and hear their stories about how and why
they chose Union, I know those prayers have been answered."

Since 1981, Union College students, employees and friends have taken a day off classes and work to serve the Lincoln community. This slideshow shows some of the more than 700 people who participated in this year's Project Impact.

Special thanks to Remedy Drive for the song, "Here's for the Years" and Vota for "Whole World in His Hands."

Seth Perkins, associate professor of health and human performance, and Spencer Way clean a playground during Project Impact in 2008.

“We always assume we know what people need, but usually we don’t have a clue,” said Emily Carlson, coordinator for Union College’s annual volunteer event, “Project Impact gives students an opportunity to see through the eyes of the community and better understand what they’re needing.”

Last year, as assistant leader for Project Impact, Carlson delivered bagels to each site of the 50 sites where Union students were volunteering. In the middle of her journey, she spotted a homeless man. Thinking he could use a bite to eat, she stopped the car, grabbed a bag of bagels and handed it to him.

She drove away feeling good about her kind deed. As she looked in her rear view mirror she watched in shock as the homeless man opened a nearby trashcan and dumped the contents of the bag. He proceeded to shove his personal belongings in the bag and walked off with a smile.

What student would pass up an opportunity to pelt water
balloons at their teachers? I
wouldn’t, and I hoped others shared my view. Let’s keep our minds open—it was
for the American Heart Association, after all.

This year was Union Colleges tenth anniversary of supporting
the American Heart Association by hosting an alternate day for the Heart Walk
and raising funds. In the past, the money was raised simply by distributing
pledge envelopes to employees. This year, LuAnn Davis, vice president for
Advancement, decided to use the opportunity for her Institutional Development
students to experience live, hands-on fundraising. I was one of those lucky students.

We divided into groups and chose an audience to focus on.
The groups included Union College faculty, staff and students, the Mid-America
Union Conference, George Stone Elementary School, Helen Hyatt Elementary School,
College View Academy and Christian Record Services.

A group organized by Maranatha Volunteers
International donated their time and energy to Union College July 6-17.
Maranatha is an independent Seventh-day Adventist organization that constructs
and repairs schools, churches, orphanages, clinics and other essential
infrastructure around the world while encouraging people to make hands-on service
part of their lives.

Doodling, often viewed as a grade school pastime, has graduated to a college campus. Not usually viewed as art, doodles are ways to pass time and help concentrate. Perhaps they are on napkins or on the back of a handout; they are carefree, fluid creations that can contain as much personality and emotion as any canvas in a museum.

Health Education Solutions (HES), an internet-based certification and recertification avenue for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training, has announced a partnership with Union College to offer online certification courses. Union’s healthcare faculty is responsible for the curriculum, and HES administers the courses online.

Union College is seeking comments from its constituents about the college
in preparation for periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. The
college will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit October 19-21, 2009 by a
team representing The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools. The visiting team will review evidence presented
and make its recommendations to the commission. Following a review process, the
commission itself will take the final action. Union College has been accredited
by the commission since 1923.

Sean Dale wore many hats during his time at Union College—literally. On and off stage, the recent communications/public relations graduate has been a leader in Union College’s theater program, UC Drama, for about five years. During that time, he’s been involved in seven shows, including directing a production of his own, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, in the fall of 2008.

At the beginning of the project, Dale didn’t really know where to start. “I was freaking out,” he said, “but Mark Robison gave me advice and I was able to tackle it.” Robison, professor of English and the head of UC Drama, has guided many student directors through their first shows, and Dale learned a lot about how to stage a show from Robison, including how to organize a group of actors. “Getting everyone to show up for rehearsals was the most difficult part, but in the end, it was very rewarding,” Dale said. “I almost cried at the standing ovation we got on opening night.”

During the commencement address at Union College’s
graduation on May 10, Charles Sandefur, president of the Adventist Development
and Relief Agency, challenged the graduates to make their world better by
becoming pilgrims. “In a few minutes, you’re going to get a diploma,” Sandefur
said.

As the population of the United States ages, heart disease, already the nation's number one killer, will affect more people. The American Heart Association is working to combat this growing crisis with a 10-year strategic goal of reducing coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent in 2010.

Sand, sun and sleep are typical descriptors for spring break
in the Bahamas—but for gymnasts from Union College, memories of the island
nation are filled with a packed schedule, sore muscles, and spiritual
fulfillment. From March 12-19, twenty-seven Union representatives spent their
spring break performing gymnastic routines and travelling throughout the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas.